Creeper attachment

ABSTRACT

A creeper attachment for a shoe which includes a partial sole that underlies a shoe sole. A band member having a row of spike assemblies is attached to the partial sole. Ends of an elastic strap are attached to the band member. The elastic strap extends around a heel portion of the shoe to hold the attachment on the shoe.

United States Patent Greer Oct. 28, 1975 1 CREEPER ATTACHMENT 2,697,287 12/1954 Millard 3617.7 [76] Inventor: Raymond Greer, 5092 Overbrook mace, Cincinnati Ohio 5 27 Primary Examiner-Patnck D. Lawson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James W. Pearce; Roy F. [22] F11ed: Mar. 11, 1974 schaeperklaus [21] Appl. No.1 449,916

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. C1.2 36/62; 36/71 A creeper attachment for a Shoe which includes a [51] Int. Cl. A43C 15/00 am that underlies a shoe sole A band member [58] Field of Search 62! 59 having a row of spike assemblies is attached to the partial sole. Ends of an elastic strap are attached to [56] defences Cited the band member. The elastic strap extends around a UNITED STATES PATENTS heel portion of the shoe to hold the attachment on the 2,313,316 3/1943 B1ock 36/62 Shoe- 2,431,748 12/1947 Gershak 36/62 2,547,812 4/1951 Carabatsos 36/7.7 3 Clam, 5 Drawmg Figures US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 1 of 2 3,914,882

US. Patent CREEPER ATTACHMENT This invention relates to a creeper attachment for a shoe,

In inclement and icy weather, ordinary shoes or rubbers may not give sufficient traction to the feet. In addition, on rough ground, spikes are often of help, but such spikes need to be removed before one walks on an inside floor.

An object of this invention is to provide a readily removable creeper attachment for a shoe which includes spikes which can assist in walking on rough ground or on icy surfaces.

A further object of this invention is to provide such an attachment which grips the shoe at a position just forward of the instep portion of the shoe and is firmly held in place thereon.

A further object of this invention is to provide such an attachment for the shoe which can readily be mounted on and removed from the shoe.

Briefly, this invention provides a creeper attachment for a shoe which includes a band which can surround the portion of the shoe just forward of the instep portion. A partial sole is attached to the band underlying the sole of the shoe. Spike elements are attached to the partial sole, and a row of the spike elements is attached to the band as well as to the partial sole to hold the band and the partial sole in assembled relation. An elastic strap is attached to the band and extends around a heel of the shoe to hold the attachment in position. Laces are provided at ends of the band for adjusting the length of the band so that the band can be fitted to the shoe.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from the following de tailed description and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe with a creeper attachment mounted thereon, the creeper attachment being constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the creeper attachrnent, laces thereof being removed;

FIG. 3 is a view in end elevation of the creeper attachment, looking in the direction of the arrows 33 in FIG. 2, the laces being shown in dashed lines;

FIG. 4 is a view in section taken generally on the line 44 in FIG. 3 with laces removed; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the creeper attachment.

In the following detailed description and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In FIG. I is shown a creeper attachment constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, which is shown mounted on a shoe 12. The shoe 12 can be a conventional shoe having a sole l3 and a heal portion 14.

The creeper attachment 10 includes a band member 16 which can extend around the portion of the shoe which is just in front of the instep. Eyes 17 are formed in the band portion 16 adjacent free edges thereof as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. A lace 18 (FIGS. 1 and 3) is threaded through the eyes 17, and ends of the lace 18 can be tied together to hold the ends in position to adjust the effective length of the band member 16. The band member 16 can be formed of leather or leather like plastic material. A partial sole 19 of rubber or other rubber-like material is attached to the band member 16 centrally thereof. The band member 16 is at tached to the partial sole 19 by means of a row of spike assemblies 22. Each of the spike assemblies 22, as shown in FIG. 4, can be of usual form and includes a base portion 24 and aspike portion 26. The base portion 24 includes an internally threaded shank 28, an outwardly extending annular flange 29 which overlies the band member 16, and prongs 31 on the flange 29 which extend into the band member 16 to lock the base portion 24 in place. The spike portion 26 includes an externally threaded shank 33 which is threaded in the shank 28 of the base portion 24, an annular flange 34 which engage the underside of the partial sole 19, and a spike head 36 which extends downwardly therefrom. Additional similar spike assemblies 22A are mounted in the partial sole 19 on opposite sides of the band member 16 as shown in FIG. 5.

An elastic strap 41 is attached to the band member 16. As shown in FIG. 5, end portions 42 of the strap 31 are folded around side sections of the band member 16, and the end portions 42 are attached to the band member 16 by stitching 43 (FIGS. 2 and 4). The elastic strap 41 can extend around the heel portion 14 of the shoe 12 as shown in FIG. 1 to hold the creeper attachment 10 in position on the shoe 12 with the partial sole underlying the ball portion of the shoe, i.e., the portion of the shoe in front of the instep.

The creeper attachment illustrated in the drawings and described above is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent is:

l. A creeper attachment for a shoe which comprises a partial sole for underlying a portion of a sole of the shoe, a one-piece band member having a central portion overlying the partial sole, a row of spike assemblies attaching the central portion of the band member to the partial sole, each of the spike assemblies including a spike head extending downwardly from the partial sole, means for linking ends of the band member, an elastic strap, and means for attaching end portions of the elastic strap to the band member on opposite sides of the central portion, the band member being adapted to engage the shoe in front of an instep portion, the elastic strap being adapted to engage a heel portion of the shoe to hold the attachment on the shoe.

2. In combination with a shoe, a creeper attachment which comprises a partial sole underlying a portion of a sole of the shoe, a one-piece band member having a central portion overlying the partial sole, a row of spike assemblies attaching the central portion of the band member to the partial sole, each of the spike assemblies including a spike head extending downwardly from the partial sole, means for linking ends of the band memher, an elastic strap, and means for attaching end por tions of the elastic strap to the band member on opposite sides of the central portion, the band member engaging the shoe in front of an instep portion, the elastic strap engaging a heel portion of the shoe to hold the attachment on the shoe.

3. A creeper attachment for a shoe which comprises a partial sole for underlying a portion of a sole of the shoe, a one-piece band member having a central portion overlying the partial sole, means attaching the central portion of the band member to the partial sole, a

plurality of spike assemblies mounted on the partial sole, each of the spike assemblies including a spike head extending downwardly from the partial sole, means for linking ends of the band member, and elastic central portion, the band member being adapted to engage the shoe in front of an instep portion, the elastic strap being adapted to engage a heel portion of the strap, and means for attaching end portions of the elas- 5 shoe to hold the attachment on the shoetic strap to the band member on opposite sides of the i t I 

1. A creeper attachment for a shoe which comprises a partial sole for underlying a portion of a sole of the shoe, a one-piece band member having a central portion overlying the partial sole, a row of spike assemblies attaching the central portion of the band member to the partial sole, each of the spike assemblies including a spike head extending downwardly from the partial sole, means for linking ends of the band member, an elastic strap, and means for attaching end portions of the elastic strap to the band member on opposite sides of the central portion, the band member being adapted to engage the shoe in front of an instep portion, the elastic strap being adapted to engage a heel portion of the shoe to hold the attachment on the shoe.
 2. In combination with a shoe, a creeper attachment which comprises a partial sole underlying a portion of a sole of the shoe, a one-piece band member having a central portion overlying the partial sole, a row of spike assemblies attaching the central portion of the band member to the partial sole, each of the spike assemblies including a spike head extending downwardly from the partial sole, means for linking ends of the band member, an elastic strap, and means for attaching end portions of the elastic strap to the band member on opposite sides of the central portion, the band member engaging the shoe in front of an instep portion, the elastic strap engaging a heel portion of the shoe to hold the attachment on the shoe.
 3. A creeper attachment for a shoe which comprises a partial sole for underlying a portion of a sole of the shoe, a one-piece band member having a central portion overlying the partial sole, means attaching the central portion of the band member to the partial sole, a plurality of spike assemblies mounted on the partial sole, each of the spike assemblies including a spike head extending downwardly from the partial sole, means for linking ends of the band member, and elastic strap, and means for attaching end portions of the elastic strap to the band member on opposite sides of the central portion, the band member being adapted to engage the shoe in front of an instep portion, the elastic strap being adapted to engage a heel portion of the shoe to hold the attachment on the shoe. 